Hong Kong has the 5th fastest growing startup ecosystem in the world, which saw a 41% increase in staff numbers in 2016. In fact, the deluge of co-working spaces in Hong Kong should be proof enough – more startups need more brains.

We took the oh-so familiar concept of speed dating and applied it to the otherwise monotonous process of recruiting. We saw an overwhelming response and an unbelievable quality of talent coming in to meet with startups. A startup found their first full-time HK team member during the event.

All aboard the entrepreneur-ship have unanswered questions. We’re here to help answer them before you find yourself on a burning deck!

What does an investor look for in a startup? What is the process for fundraising? How much equity should I give away? What material should I prepare for an investor meeting?

Questions like these and more were answered during Office Hours with our in-house consultant, Atin Batra.

Atin is an Associate at Q Venture Partners, a global VC firm investing in connected hardware and IoT. Prior to QVP, he was the Accelerator Lead at Swire Properties’ Blueprint Accelerator. Atin has extensive experience mentoring and guiding startups through their journey from attaining product-market fit to fundraising.

The stage is set for the 10 finalists.

10 female founders were shortlisted from 60+ applications.

Upto US$ 50K up for grabs in one night!

We saw a full house

@Metta

Investors' deliberation

The investors took to the stage to share their thoughts.

Time to announce the teams they would like to invest in!

The investors with the 'Chosen 4'

Congratulations Teams Sharesies, Go Skills, Baby Hero and Ozmo!

The evening came to a close with the investors and finalists enjoying shots by our co-sponsor, Zavva Shots.

The first edition of Pitch Like a Girl, organised during RISE 2017, is a unique opportunity for women entrepreneurs, attending the conference from around the world, to return with their pockets heavier than when they arrived in Hong Kong.

We are overwhelmed by the response we’ve gotten! 180+ attendees registered to attend the event and 60+ women entrepreneurs from San Francisco, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, South Korea, and Australia-New Zealand among others, submitted applications to pitch. The top 10 finalists pitched in front of our investors on 12 July.
Congratulations Teams Sharesies, GoSkills, Baby Hero and Ozmo.